Chapter 12

3 days had passed since she'd seen Meliodas, her… something… undefined/ friend/ special someone. She'd been trying to figure out exactly what they were, thinking over and over about everything they'd been through. At first it was a friendship of sorts… but it was never really a normal friendship. Since day one she'd felt something. When he'd tossed her on the ground and touched her neck, an unknown electrical current assaulted her. When he'd said her name in his melodic voice, warmth spread through her body. When she'd blessed him that first time, her morals had been officially corrupted. For days after their first encounter, she just couldn't get him out of her head.

How was she supposed to consider a friendship between a demon and a goddess "normal"? It couldn't be normal, because the only reason they'd met at heaven's theater in the first place was the undeniable and irrevocable attraction for each other. They were drawn together like magnets. The energy between them was almost palpable.

After all the hugs, lingering touches, and his outright sexual harassment. Elizabeth definitely didn't see Meliodas as a friend. Meliodas was special to her. He'd quickly become the most important person in her life. She'd even gone up against Ludociel for him. She dared say she would stand up to the Supreme Deity herself if it meant protecting her relationship with Meliodas.

She sighed as she laid on her favorite meadow, using her forearm to shield her eyes from the bright sun.

Her thoughts were interrupted by the sound of heavy footsteps.

"Hey."

"Hi Mael." Elizabeth said without looking up.

Mael sighed at her cold disposition, "Elizabeth…"

"I know. You only told Ludociel what you knew because you thought I was in danger. I'm not mad at you."

"Then why have you been avoiding you?"

"I haven't..."

"Yes you have! You don't show up to train, you dodge me on the streets, you didn't even answer your door when I rang."

"I… was avoiding Ludociel…"

"You're lying."

"Fine. I was avoiding you."

"Why?"

"I'm ashamed of my actions."

"Ashamed? For staying the night with him?"

"No, Mel. I feel awful. I've treated you terribly. Ludociel made me see it: I asked you to lie to your brother and to make it worse, you had to lie about a matter that was politically important. I made you a traitor… and I shouldn't have. I should have protected you. I used to look after you as a kid and now I've hurt you, put you in harms way and the worst thing is I hadn't even considered how you would feel about having to keep my secret. I was too preoccupied with my own enjoyment."

"Elizabeth stop. That's not what's hurting me."

At this point they were both sitting facing each other, wearing serious looks on their faces.

"I don't mind lying for you. I would do anything you asked of me."

"No… Mael you don't have to protect my feelings."

Mael laughed, but it was a bitter sound, "Don't you see? That's all I want to do: protect you. Elizabeth, you've always been there for me. Even when everyone expected too much from me as a kid and I felt too weak minded, you've always accepted me."

"Mael, what are you talking about?"

"You told me that I was fine the way I was, remember?"

"Of course I remember…" Elizabeth said wistfully, her eyes sparkled with nostalgia at the memory of Mael as a child so many years ago.

Mael, on the other hand, mistook this look and her kind words for something else. He leaned in to place his lips on her.

Elizabeth was stunned. She felt Mael's lips moving against her frozen ones, trying to coax any sort of response from her. As soon as her brain responded, she used her hands to push on his shoulders, moving her head to the side to try to release herself from his insistent hold.

"Mael, stop…"

"Why? Elizabeth. You care for me, I know you do."

"Of course I care for you Mael, you're my dear friend, which is why I can't do this."

"But you can."

"Please stop…"

"Elizabeth, I know you have feelings for Meliodas, I'm not stupid. But think about it. What can he offer you? A life in the demon realm? You become the next demon queen? Or what? Is he going to come here? Are you going to leave your entire race for him? Is he going to do that for you? What about our clans? You know the tension has been building up over the years. In a split second a war could break out and you'd be on opposite ends of it. What would you do then?"

"Mael… no more." Elizabeth was crying at the force of his words. She knew those were real questions. Questions she'd been avoiding. Only three days ago her life had been in peril over her relationship with Meliodas. Who knew what awaited them as more and more people found out.

"No. Elizabeth you need to hear this. Elizabeth, I love you. I've always loved you. I can give you everything you've ever dreamed of. I'm the strongest of the Four Archangels, I would be a worthy partner for you. We could have incredibly powerful children that would honor the goddess race and bring holiness to the world. You don't have to change or give up anything for me. I will always protect you, even better than he can, since being with me wouldn't put you at risk. This makes sense. We make sense."

Elizabeth's tears stopped their downward fall, frozen in time after being expose to the one word that was missing from her, 'love'. Mael had said it. That's what she felt. She loved Meliodas. It was exactly the word she'd been searching for, something to represent what they meant to each other. She loved him and he loved her.

"Mael… if there were any obstacles standing in the way of your love for me, would you give it up?"

"No, of course not."

Elizabeth placed her hand on his cheek, and he held it there. "Thank you for your words. I am undeserving of your love. And as much as I care for you, I love Meliodas." Elizabeth smiled brightly at her out loud confession. "I love him with all my heart and there is no obstacle big enough that I wouldn't fight to be with him."

Mael dropped his hand and looked down, defeated.